COMMUNITY PARK ALONG THE NEPEAN RIVER TRANSFORMED AFTER $13M INVESTMENT FROM NSW GOVERNMENT
13 Dec 2023
A treasured community park on the banks of the Nepean River in Western Sydney has reopened, following a major $13 million revamp. Tench Reserve, designed by award-winning landscape architecture studio, CONTEXT, has been developed with community wellbeing and nature conservation at the heart of the design.
Much-used and loved by the local community to cool off, have fun and exercise, the Nepean River is the focal point of the architecture. The upgrades have sought to foster and support connections between the community and the water, with the team inspired by the unique river landscape.
Initial works were completed in February 2023 and focussed on the riverside precinct. Improvements were made to community facilities, including the addition of a Changing Places amenity, accessible picnic areas and seating, inclusive play spaces, native planting, and a public art installation by Cave Urban. The second stage has focussed on the wharf recreation precinct, seeing the addition of activated hubs on the riverbank including a boat ramp, and an amphitheatre that will be used for community events. 
Reflecting on the design process, CONTEXT Director Hamish Dounan said the project team’s top priority was protecting the unique environment and scenic beauty, whilst creating new spaces for the community to come together. “Our team worked with the NSW Governement to consult industry and local experts on what design interventions would be suitable for this unique site. JOC Consulting undertook multiple rounds of community engagement - the feedback from which informed the concept and final design.” 
As part of this, CONTEXT engaged Balarinji, an Indigenous design and strategy studio, to consult locally connected Aboriginal knowledge holders to help guide and inform the design framework. “Our engagement with the local Indigenous community foregrounded opportunities for how the design could deepen the park’s sense of place and provide an understanding of the Aboriginal cultural and spiritual context of the site,” noted Dounan. 
The project has been funded through the Department of Planning and Environment’s Parks for People Program which aims to improve communities’ access to high quality open space areas and increase green cover. Dounan praised project partners, Penrith City Council and the NSW Government. “Collaborating with the state government on community-driven legacy projects like this, that will serve generations to come, is immensely rewarding. The NSW Government’s Parks for People Program is testament to the significance public open spaces play in all of our lives. We’re looking forward to delivering more projects within this initiative in the future.” 
Images via CONTEXT
